The present invention relates to a composition useful as antibacterial and antifungal agent, and more particularly to an antibacterial and antifungal composition mainly containing dehydroacetic acid, sorbic acid or their alkali metal salts.
It is well known that dehydroacetic acid, sorbic acid and their alkali metal salts are useful as antibacterial and antifungal agents. The toxicity of these antibacterial and antifungal agents is so low that their addition to foods is permitted, and they are agents of very high safety. Therefore, if these agents are usable in any fields such as general industrial products and agricultural products, to say nothing of foods, the usefulness of these agents becomes very great. However, the antibacterial antifungal effects thereof are not always satisfactory in the application to industrial products such as paints, sizing agents and adhesives.